The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 eBook

to heaven and shines in splendour there like the she-pigeon
of whom I have spoken. Even this is the old history
of the high-souled fowler and the pigeon. Even
thus did they earn a highly meritorious end by their
righteous acts. No evil befalls the persons who
listens every day to this story or who recites it
every day, even if error invades his mind.[437] O
Yudhisthira, O foremost of all righteous persons, the
protection of a suppliant is truly a high act of merit.
Even the slayer of a cow, by practising this duty,
maybe cleansed of sin. That man, however, will
never be cleansed who slays a suppliant. By listening
to this sacred and sin-cleansing story one becomes
freed from distress and attains to heaven at last.’”

SECTION CL

“Yudhishthira said, ’O best of the Bharatas,
when a person commits sin from want of judgment, how
may he be cleansed from it? Tell me everything
about it.’

“Bhishma said, ’I shall in this connection
recite to thee the old narrative, applauded by the
Rishis, of what the regenerate Indrota, the son of
Sunaka, said unto Janamejaya. There was in days
of yore, a king possessed of great energy, called
Janamejaya, who was the son of Parikshit. That
lord of earth on one occasion, from want of judgment
became guilty of killing a Brahmana. Upon this,
all the Brahmanas together with his priests abandoned
him. Burning day and night with regret, the king
retired into the woods. Deserted by his subjects
too, he took this step for achieving high merit.
Consumed by repentance, the monarch underwent the
most rigid austerities. For washing himself of
the sin of Brahmanicide he interrogated many Brahmanas,
and wandered from country to country over the whole
earth. I shall now tell thee the story of his
expiation. Burning with the remembrance of his
sinful act, Janamejaya wandered about. One day,
in course of his wanderings, he met Indrota, the son
of Sunaka, of rigid vows, and approaching him touched
his feet. The sage, beholding the king before
him, reproved him gravely, saying, ’Thou hast
committed a great sin. Thou hast been guilty of
foeticide. Why has thou come here? What business
hast thou with us? Do not touch me by any means!
Go, go away! Thy presence does not give us pleasure.
Thy person smells like blood. Thy appearance is
like that of a corpse. Though impure, thou seemest
to be pure, and though dead thou movest like a living!
Dead within, thou art of impure soul, for thou art
ever intent upon sin. Though thou sleepest and
wakest, thy life, however, is passed in great misery.
Thy life, O king, is useless. Thou livest most
miserably. Thou hast been created for ignoble
and sinful deeds. Sires wish for sons from desire
of obtaining diverse kinds of blessings, and hoping
they perform penances and sacrifices, worship the gods,
and practise renunciation.[438] Behold, the whole
race of thy ancestors has fallen into hell in consequence